tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298120122012-02-19T18:12:24.403-05:00Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.comBlogger231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-74135226218461198502008-04-13T09:43:00.002-05:002008-05-03T22:30:34.868-05:00

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-37497583106992479742008-04-13T08:38:00.001-05:002008-04-13T08:41:25.919-05:00

There is no question that Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania are richly blessed to have one of the top ten academic medical centers and associated hospital systems in the United States. Last year I observed with wonderment the acquisition of two intercontinental jets to fly the imperious leadership of UPMC to visit their international assets. So far we have been informed that UPMC operates a

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-12945262945842989492008-03-27T18:23:00.003-05:002008-03-27T18:41:05.031-05:00

Healthcare leaders have been predicting universal healthcare insurance for at least the past twenty-five years. It has been a long vigil and it we will probably wait longer. It was only in the last few months that the forces that will propel us into universal healthcare insurance have become clear, at least to me.1. The economic pressure of caring for the uninsured – Some of our best clients

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-31925191570216206312008-01-30T23:11:00.000-05:002008-01-30T23:52:34.386-05:00

On this last day of January, 2008, I was tasked with the pickup up a prescription for a dear old friend. It could not have come at a worse time. I was struggling to meet a timetable to catch an airplane out of town.I stood at the “prescription pickup” station at the pharmacy and I waited and I waited. When I inquired, “what is the problem”, it was revealed that the pharmacy computer was having

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-61310991689419166752007-11-23T07:59:00.000-05:002007-12-16T09:08:44.341-05:00

Resistance to ChangeThe human impulses related to change are probably as old as our knuckle dragging ancestors. Presented only as English literature, there is an interesting 2,000 year old story in the New Testament Book of Mathew. The setting for this story is the village of Gadarenes. Theologians only agree that the town was on the eastern coast of the Sea of

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-84442114257039690192007-08-24T19:17:00.000-05:002007-08-24T19:59:42.473-05:00

Nicholas Jacobs, President and CEO, Windber Medical Center Over the past thirty-five years I have met so many great healthcare leaders. I will avoid mentioning twenty or thirty of them because I would be neglecting twenty or thirty others. Some of these great leaders have been close working partners; others have been ruthless competitors. Some have been dear friends; others have been nominal

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com304tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-72280009226048322252007-06-12T05:55:00.000-05:002007-06-12T06:00:39.170-05:00

Why do two-thirds of American Hospitals Lose Money or Barely Break Even at the Operating Line?Through my long career I have observed the divergence of American hospitals into the prosperous and the “have not’s.” Why? On occasion it is clear. There are two subsets of hospital failure easy to understand. Some hospitals simply should not be open. When the St. Francis Hospital of Pittsburgh

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-26026146269316864782007-05-13T19:45:00.000-05:002007-05-13T19:50:55.541-05:00

Hubris Seems to be Flying High at UPMCThe Trib reported last Sunday (May 6, 2007) that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has leased a second corporate jet. The second jet is a Bombardier Global Express valued at between $30 million and $50 million with a monthly lease payment estimated at $280,000. A UPMC spokesman said it is needed because it "can carry more people and avoid refueling

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-2688549417786503782007-03-28T19:54:00.000-05:002007-03-28T23:17:03.297-05:00

Picking a “Well Seasoned Consultant” May be More Dangerous than “Eating Beef Jerky”This month our firm celebrates its third anniversary. We have had a lot of fun, grown rapidly, made a few mistakes and have enjoyed remarkable success.It is always risky commenting on the consulting skill of other firms. So, at the outset I should disclose that we have several dozen consulting partner firms from

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-72871136881401519842007-02-14T10:46:00.000-05:002007-02-14T11:04:06.387-05:00

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 AM, when an elderly gentleman, in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 AM.I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-88645162329049510862007-02-01T22:48:00.000-05:002007-02-14T14:14:17.691-05:00

We certainly would not send them a bill for poor care...or would we?Last year I was visiting with a friend, a highly recognizable name in healthcare. He conveyed a personal story of a surgery performed that went horribly wrong, leaving his vision in one eye forever damaged. When the surgical mistake was “diagnosed,” it was the surgeon himself that brought to light his shortcomings. In a glib

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1162184520148682212006-10-29T23:56:00.000-05:002007-02-14T13:54:21.505-05:00

On Tuesday, October 25, my mother-in-law entered a prominent Pittsburgh hospital to undergo a routine surgical procedure. She was at the hospital to have cataract surgery performed. Before getting into her situation, the following factual information should be disclosed.This year, great medical newspapers, like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have reported that nearly 2,000,000 U.S. citizens acquire

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1159934186183100122006-10-03T22:42:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:29:55.571-05:00

Who does not own a cell phone? You hear them ringing when you watch a movie. Sitting in a typical restaurant is like a scene from Saturday Night Live; every third person is talking to someone about something that is annoying to the other patrons. As a frequent flyer, my favorite experience is sitting in wait to board my plane. Men and women talk into their cell phones disclosing confidential and

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1156947139674157922006-08-30T09:08:00.000-05:002007-02-14T13:07:50.831-05:00

Why can’t Mr. Goodman’s example help us in healthcare?My childhood was centered in a working-class bedroom community near Pittsburgh and just outside of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. McKeesport was a typical Western Pennsylvania mill town. U. S. Steel was booming, and the centerpiece was the U. S. Steel National Tube Works.Saturday was a big day for us. We would go shopping in McKeesport. It was a

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1154908854231108492006-08-06T18:57:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:30:50.658-05:00

Often said . . . rarely practicedWe do not know the author of the oath or expression, “The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” There is a consensus that it developed in English law courts sometime between 1189 and before the end of the thirteenth century. What is clear is how rarely it is applied to our everyday lives.In over forty years of gainful employment and thirty-five years

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1152844140868179972006-07-13T21:25:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:36:35.116-05:00

Recently, I participated in a staff meeting as two people resolved a personal conflict. The emotions were running high. My role was to moderate the discussion and, I guess, make sure no one was injured.For the purposes of this posting, the subject matter of the office conflict is not relevant. Ironically, I learned something about myself in this session that I did not know. The instant

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1152771334749285622006-07-13T01:10:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:36:03.336-05:00

In all the years I have served healthcare organizations, I have always been perplexed by hospitals that thrive against all odds and others that wither with clinical and financial resources that would suggest otherwise.Recently, I met two relatively young brothers who have been extremely successful in business. They own or are partnered with businesses I can barely understand. Now they have turned

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1152498109259061022006-07-09T21:13:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:37:36.311-05:00

Over this weekend we got good news and bad news from the FDA. Two similar regimens to treat HIV and AIDS were tentatively approved.For the United States, a single pill per day drug was approved. This will replace the drug cocktail that HIV positive and AIDS patients have been forced to take in recent years. Here is the bad news, it will be so expensive the American public, Medicare and Medicaid

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1152320669100764722006-07-07T20:02:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:38:29.198-05:00

Love has so many meanings it is challenging to talk about love between two people. Some folks love their dogs, a sunset or certain clothes. I love baseball . . . really, I do. I mingle with people who love to go to church or bowling. My friend loves to garden. One of my colleagues loves to see someone sing . . . I think his name is Dave Mathews. There are those of us who love good food. The use

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1151705309403559502006-06-30T17:04:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:39:28.322-05:00

When will Paul O’Neill receive the recognition he deserves?Many years ago I left my office to meet the Vice President of Medical Affairs down the hall and in his office. As my door swung open, I noticed the Risk Manager talking with one of our more prominent orthopedic surgeons. I had no idea what they were talking about, but whatever it was, they both seemed very concerned.Later that day I found

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1151365275228891172006-06-26T18:39:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:40:29.371-05:00

Why are we so skeptical?People of faith and organizations proclaiming faith always end up categorized by one of the religious congregations or societies. For those of us who have served in faith-based organizations or worked for people who wear their faith on their shirtsleeves, there is often disappointment and skepticism. Why? In Christian circles, is it not good enough that Catholic, Baptist,

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1151031757063915692006-06-22T22:01:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:34:08.176-05:00

Our firm normally gets called two or three years after the client hospital or health system needs help. These hospitals are normally “in the financial ditch” and require admission into our consulting intensive care unit. Explicit poor management is not difficult to detect. These hospitals have been losing money month after month and/or the leadership of the hospital has no vision for the future

Jan's Blog - American Healthcare Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02856659521338323918noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29812012.post-1150468538171271522006-06-16T09:17:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:32:52.878-05:00

Born in 1946, and without any input into the decision to join planet earth, and without my knowledge, I joined the ranks of the first year of baby boomers. Not to bore you with my biography, I have spent most of my working years as a CEO of U.S. hospitals . . . four to be exact. In 2003 I simply had enough of that routine. The typical Hospital CEO gets up between 5-6 AM and gets his brains and

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